Skip to main content

It’s A Wrap!

Hook It and Cook It wrapped up on May 20th after 4 days of fishing and 4 nights of fine dining courtesy of Lucas Szamnia and his wife Rocio of Szmania Catering serving North Central Washington. We enjoyed rockfish, halibut, and salmon cooked in a wonderful variety of styles. This year, the menu included a beef dish courtesy of a cow raised by Captain Chuck. Fine instructional dining and nightly mingling with guests and crew make this event an annual favorite.

Lucas and Rocio plan to return in 2026. Contact Bella (907-738-4746) for booking details.

Explore the Hook It & Cook It Menu & Recipes

On the fishing front, the kings proved challenging but possible. We found good numbers of halibut and lingcod. Most of the boats made it offshore to fish deep water for blackcod with AU’s newly added electric reels. In depths of 1000 to 1200 feet, hand cranking takes a toll on your arm, shoulder, and spirit. The electric reels make all the difference.

Fishing Report

The king salmon action heated up on Wednesday, the 21st. Our only boat out had no trouble catching one per angler, plus releasing a few. Thursday kings got scarce only to show up in force for all boats on Friday, with some nice fish up to about 20 pounds.

Halibut fishing hasn’t been super easy, but limits have been the rule. Our guests have landed 4 GAF halibut from 50 to 75 inches long. We’re finding excellent numbers of lingcod in the slot size of 30 to 35 inches. Rockfish, as always, make for a fun, productive sport.

AU is introducing the use of topwater lures in the kelp beds, adding a new level of excitement to the rockfish pursuit. We’ve even landed a ling that took a big muskie lure. Offshore, our guests have gotten into decent blackcod catches when the weather obliges. Too much wind kills chances for such adventures. All in all, it looks like things are coming into shape for a good spring on the water.

Questions? Contact Us!

Quiz Time

In what state was the world record coho (silver) caught?

  1. Alaska
  2. New York
  3. Washington
  4. Oregon

Arrange in order of size based on the species’ hook and line record (not average size):

  1. Silver
  2. Chum
  3. Pink
  4. King
  5. Sockeye

Which Shark is never found in Alaskan Waters?

  1. Thresher
  2. Tiger
  3. Black tip
  4. Bull

Check Your Answers Below…

In what state was the world record coho (silver) caught?

  1. Alaska
  2. New York – Correct
  3. Washington
  4. Oregon

Arrange in order of size based on the species’ hook and line record (not average size):

  1. King – 97 pounds 4 ounces
  2. Chum – 35 pounds
  3. Coho (silver) – 33 pounds 4 ounces
  4. Sockeye – 15 pounds 3 ounces
  5. Pink – 14 pounds 13 ounces

Which Shark is never found in Alaskan Waters?

  1. Thresher
  2. Tiger
  3. Black tip – Correct
  4. Bull

Leave a Reply